Invited Art in Public Places competition, 2021 (proposal)
Federal Criminal Police Office, Berlin

LEDs, Polycarbonate

Presentation: Patrick Oswald

An assemblage of dynamically angled lighting rods diagonally spans the space.

On closer inspection, one can discern an order in the apparent confusion – initially individual letters and then, while walking around the artwork, the word "AUFKLÄRUNG" (trans.: "ENLIGHTENMENT") becomes legible.*

The term at this location refers not only to criminal investigation, but also to Enlightenment philosophy, since its underlying principles (reason as the universal criterion of assessment / the fight against prejudice / the relevance of natural scientific insight / equality, education, intellectual freedom / religious tolerance) form the bedrock of our democracy. One of the BKA’s tasks is to defend these values against increasingly active fundamentalists.

In English and French, "Enlightenment" and "le siècle des Lumières" refer to the theme of light, which acts as a symbol of Enlightenment.

"'Enlightenment' is a light metaphor. Instead of describing an achieved condition, it is a process aimed at clarification."
Ludger Lütkehaus, "Das Licht der Vernunft", Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 04.04.2012 [trans.: “The light of reason“]

* Note:
In German, the word "Aufklärung" refers both to the philosophy/age of Enlightenment and to criminal investigation and military reconnaissance.